Cavity Wall Insulation Pros and Cons

Cavity walls consist of two layers of brickwork that are separated by a gap or cavity of air. Most houses these days are built with this type of wall structure as cavity walls provide much better thermal qualities than their solid wall counterparts.

A solid wall is exactly as the name suggests – it’s just one solid wall that allows heat and moisture to travel through the brickwork.

The vast majority of houses built in the early 90s were constructed from solid walls. If you live in a period property, and find your energy bills are quite high – this could be one of the reasons why.

But what is cavity wall insulation? And what are the main cavity wall insulation pros and cons? Let’s find out…

Cavity Wall Insulation Pros and Cons

Cavity wall insulation, as it is typically known, is the process of blowing insulating material into the cavity between your inner and outer brickwork.

This is achieved by drilling a series of tactfully placed holes into the outside of your home which then access the cavity space. Hoses are then inserted into these holes and material is blown into place. In theory, the material is then meant to spread across the cavity, and completely fill the hole.

The primary purpose of cavity wall insulation is to prevent heat loss and moisture build-up. But does it really do both?

The Supposed Benefits of Cavity Wall Insulation

The main benefit of cavity wall insulation is that it helps to prevent heat escaping through your wall.

By filling the cavity space with spray foam insulation, or any other product, you are effectively wrapping your property up like a big warm jacket. Just like a jacket, this keeps everything inside warm, despite the cold outside.

On average, most households will save around £150 each year from wall cavity insulation alone, which is not taking into consideration the additional savings of installing loft insulation, or double glazing.

The Potential Drawbacks of Cavity Wall Insulation

Moisture is often a big problem when it comes to cavity wall insulation pros and cons. In fact, some properties actually suffer as a result of installing cavity wall insulation, rather than receive any benefits.

Cavity walls are built to resist rainwater driven by wind – moisture fails to travel across the empty gap as efficiently, and therefore fails to reach the inner shell of your brickwork.

If you fill this gap with material, you are effectively providing a bridge for the moisture to travel across.